Biodiversity 2020 identifies air pollution as a direct threat to biodiversity in England. Many habitats of nature conservation importance in the UK are adapted to low nutrient conditions and/or are vulnerable to acidification, and are sensitive to additional airborne nitrogen oxides (NO]~x~), sulphur dioxide (SO]~2~) and ammonia (NH]~3~), as well as to nitrogen deposition and acid deposition.
Pollutants come from a range of different sources, but transport is known to be the single largest source of NO]~x~ emissions. Natural England commissioned a study to assess what risk air pollution from roads poses to the SSSI and Natura 2000 network in England.
The findings of this mapping and site analysis report provide information tailored to the transport sector, focusing on areas where the air quality impacts associated with road traffic are most likely to affect designated nature conservation sites.
Mapped outputs from the report can be made available on request.